UFC 308 Ultimate Guide: Khamzat Chimaev’s cold-blooded promise to Robert Whittaker

Khamzat Chimaev is one of the scariest fighters in the UFC. And he’s promised Australian fight fans that they’re about to see why. Full details of his fight with Robert Whittaker inside.

Khamzat Chimaev says he’ll put a beating on Robert Whittaker this weekend, then travel Down Under to celebrate his win in the Aussie’s home town.

Chimaev wore a devilish grin as he revealed his cold-blooded plans to this masthead just days out from his long-awaited scrap with Whittaker at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.

Born in Chechnya and now based in the UAE, Chimaev wants to make Whittaker pay for saying isn’t allowed to leave the country.

UFC 308: TOPURIA VS HOLLOWAY plus Australia’s Rob Whittaker taking on undefeated Khamzat Chimaev | SUN 27 OCT 5AM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

Once one of the brightest prospects in the UFC, Chimaev hasn’t been able to fight in America since 2022 due to Visa issues.

Dubbed ‘The Boogeyman’ by Whittaker, Chimaev has a speaking and training tour scheduled for Australia in December.

Khamzat Chimaev is built different. Picture: James Gilbert/Getty Images

And he says he’d love nothing more than to put an exclamation mark on a fight build-up that has had a fair bit of back-and-forth.

“I’m coming to meet my fans in Australia and to see the country,” he told this masthead. “Robert said I couldn’t be anywhere outside my country, but I’ve gone to England, the US, France, Russia, Arab countries.

“All over.

“Now I’m going to his country. His home.”

With a visible scar on his top lip, Khamzat stares down his opponents with a menacing grin on his face and an attitude that suggests he loves nothing more than punching on.

Since moving his training camp to Abu Dhabi, Chimaev has become a massive star in the region.

That was on display at Thursday night’s press conference.

While Whittaker received a warm welcome, it was clear Chimaev was the local crowd’s favourite.

At one point, the Chechen wrestler threatened to have an Aussie reporter removed from the venue, and promised Sunday morning was going to be a tough one for Australian fans.

Chimaev has never fought five rounds. Picture: Francois Nel/Zuffa LLC

“He’s a nice guy, a great champ,” he said of Whittaker. “He’s going for his family, I’m going for my family.

“It will be a good war.

“He strikes good, but he hasn’t fought anyone like me.

“He hasn’t fought Khamzat Chimaev, and that’s the difference.”

Asked what exactly makes him different from Israel Adesanya, Dricus du Plessis, Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa, he deadpans: “They’re not Khamzat. I am,” before putting on a disconcertingly warm smile and walking away.

What time is UFC 308 in Australia?

UFC 308 is on at a different time to most pay-per-views, meaning we’ve got a much earlier start.

The prelims start at (AEDT) 1am, and the pay-per-view main card gets underway at 5am.

What time is Robert Whittaker fighting Khamzat Chiamev?

Expect Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev to be fighting from roughly 7:45am onwards.

How to watch UFC 308 in Australia

You can watch UFC 308 on Main Event and Kayo Sport PPV. Order it right here. 

UFC 308 card

Featherweight – Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

Middleweight – Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Featherweight – Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige

Light Heavyweight – Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakić

Middleweight – Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan

Preliminary card

Light Heavyweight – Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira

Welterweight – Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Lightweight – Mateusz Rębecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai

Middleweight – Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira

Heavyweight – Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Chris Barnett

Bantamweight – Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo

Middleweight – Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva

Welterweight – Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal

Originally published as UFC 308 Ultimate Guide: Khamzat Chimaev’s cold-blooded promise to Robert Whittaker